Thursday, September 17, 2009

KSM Tried in Manhattan?

As the country remains embroiled in a cowardly debate over race (again) and amidst Pelosi's crocodile tears over our new domestic terrorists, the Gitmo deadline looms ever closer. Remember that? Yesterday the administration asked for yet another delay as they try to get their act together and dropped this trial balloon out the window in the process:

The government’s legal papers said the Justice Department and the Pentagon would decide within 60 days whether to seek criminal charges in federal court against the Sept. 11 defendants, including Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the accused chief planner, and those accused of being associates, like Ramzi bin al Shibh. If the men are indicted, government officials said, the case is likely to be tried in New York.

Speaking of which, apart from this, we haven't heard much about that Blue Ribbon interagency panel tasked with changing our interrogation policies.

But what about KSM coming to New York? From the sound of the Supermax it appears to be hell compared to Gitmo. Giving them life without martyrdom might not be a bad ending--much worse than death. Khalid would get to see his nephew-in-crime and swap stories with him and Terry Nichols about their former tradecraft. Of course the victims might want to see them all thrown off the Empire State Building on fire. It's an emotional issue to say the least.

Which is why it's prudent to ask whether Obama would really risk bringing them to trial there. What would happen if they go to New York then end up walking due to tainted evidence? It will be an election year (2010) before everything is said and done and he won't be able to blame Bush because Bush never wanted them tried in criminal courts anyway--precisely due to a fear they may walk (among other things).

Exactly how this might tie in with the hush-hush Justice investigation of CIA interrogators seems to have Josh Gerstein puzzled.

MORE 9/17/09

Michael Scheuer was just on O'Reilly and dropped a bomb about what was learned through harsh interrogation that the Obama administration won't reveal--a plot to seed midwestern universities with sleeper agents in prep for the next attack (they are patient). Also, an attack on the UK was revealed along with names. What he did sounded like a crime but he knows they can't go after him because it would bring to light the fact they aren't revealing the CIA department level feedback to the 2004 IG report. Should be interesting.

TRANSCRIPT 9/19/09

I'm still intrigued with Scheuer's spillage of what seems like classified info on O'Reilly Thursday night. It's hard to find a video of this. I did find a transcript of sorts here, of which contains this snippet:

00:13:30 Joining us now from washington, former cia official michael schurr once the head of the bin laden unit and author of the book marching toward hell.00:13:41 Doctor, I understand you have new information for us tonight.00:13:43 What is that?00:13:45 Well, bill, I wanted to try to explain to the american people a little bit about the interrogation program and what we found in it or what resulted from it.00:13:54 For example, after the interrogations of can a lead sheik mohammed, we were able to stop an al qaeda plan that was already in process to enroll its fighters in midwestern u.s.00:14:10 Universities in order to prepare for the next round of attacks in the united states.00:14:13 And in addition, after talking to khalid sheik mohammed and zubaydah.00:14:22 We were able to stop an attack inside the united kingdom led by another gentleman.00:14:29 I think those are important for america to know.00:14:33 why hasn't that information been forth coming?00:14:35 Because you have the attorney general holder saying ok, look, I'm going to set up a panel and look at the cia guys who waterboarded zubaydah and khalid sheik mohammed.00:14:46 We are going to do that and rattle their cage at the cia.00:14:48 We are going to give them a hard time.00:14:51 And no -- americans don't know what you just said, that a midwestern plot was foiled.00:14:57 A u.k. plot was foiled.00:14:59 Why don't we know that?00:15:00 >> We don't know that, sir, because the president and holder and the white house generally have been lying to the american people directly about the success of the interrogation program.

As the man who oversaw rendition during the 90s as the chief of the bin Laden Unit at Langley he definitely has a legacy to protect and could even get caught up in a broadened investigation down the line, but even still, this should have made bigger news. Maybe the commentators on the Sunday shows will ask Obama about it.